Text: John 4:1-15
Scripture References: Ephesians 5:5/1 John 1:9/ Psalms 1:6/ Ezekiel 47:12/ James 4:14/ Rev. 21:3-4/ John 1:13/ John: 7:37/38/ John 15:4-6/ Jeremiah 7:7/ Hebrews 10:31/
Venue: Grand Anse Baptist Church
Date: 12th October 2008
Theme: “Living Water in a dying world”
Forewarn-This sermon had some pointers from Sermon Central contributor: William Baeta.
INTRODUCTION: Indeed this passed week, week we have received so much water .It like we just entered the rainy season .Many of us including myself were concerned for various reasons. Indeed business owners were concerned, especially those who businesses are situated in the low-lying areas. You see folk, rain usually have a direct impact on their business profitability. Apart from the issue of flooding, our culture dictates that business stop when ever rain falls.
We too as a church often times are affected when rain of this magnitude falls because it usually floods out the basement level of our church, causing havoc etc.
Therefore it is not possible for rain to fall, without it causing some effect-directly or indirectly. But this is physical water.
About Water:
Essential for life: All known forms of life depend on water. A human can survive almost two months without food, but he/she cannot survive a week without water.
Water withheld from a plant, even though its planted in rich soil, will cause the plant wither and die. You see it takes water to make the nutrients of the soil available to the plant.
Without water, fish die.-i.e. without water all living things eventually die.
The Living Water
Jesus, as we saw in the scripture, when He encountered the woman of Samaria talked to her about living water. She taught He was refereeing to physical water, H2O, but instead He was referring to Eternal life (EF) and the power of the Holy Spirit working in her life.
You see brethrens, although that Samaritan woman was seemingly alive, in essence she was dying. She was living a life of fornication which would have taken her straight to hell had she not encountered Jesus and asked Him to give her this Living Water …For this ye know, that no whore monger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. [Ephesians 5:5] You see she had five husbands and the one she was living with was nor hers.
Teenagers, stop living a life of fornication! Young woman, young man stop living a life of fornication, woman, man God is asking you to stop living this life!
That life is dead water which is unhealthy for you and those around you; it is stagnant water which will only bring disease and death into your lives. Ask Jesus to give you a drink of the living water, which will change your life forever.
Therefore if you here this morning and you been practicing such a life like that woman of Samaria, the word of God declared that “if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1:9]
This morning I want to let someone know that in these hard economic times when even the stock market are crumbling into a great depression, like that of 1929, we need The Living water to sustain us.
The Living water never looses it power –it’s not like Nawasa, today you have it flowing powerful, tomorrow its flowing slow -if you get any at all.
It’s not like Glenelg Spring water they say “When you taste Glenelg Natural Spring Water, you will experience the difference.” Yet you have to buy it. The living water is free gift.
I want to tell someone this morning indeed it’s not Claboné spring water from Grenville that you have to travel over rugged territory to get it. All you need to do is ask and it will given to you. Will you ask today? Will you reach out to Jesus today?
Real life begins when living under Christ’s control,the fountain of life.
When Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman about living water, understand He was not talking about physical water.
He was talking about salvation of the soul/eternal life. Through eternal life, the gift of the Holy Spirit springs up as a fountain within.
Most people survive on external supplies. They may be well-off, happy and strong only when outwards circumstances make them so. But what happens when they are sick, they usually get physically weak, when things are not going their way, they are not happy. In addition, when their money leaves them, they are poor. Earthly fountains satisfy only temporarily and it will soon pass away.
The earthly fountains:
Some of us may drink of the fountain of worldly pleasures, but it will soon pass away;
Others may drink of the fountain of wealth, but that too will not satisfy us very long
Yet still others may even drink of the fountain of human love as we know it, but love has become a pass word and so we will soon be unsatisfied.
You see brethrens what ever we drink that is not of the right fountain, will only quench our thirst temporarily and sometimes make it worst, like drinking sea water for example, that quenches our thirst but for a few seconds, but comes back with a bigger thirst than before.
But I want to tell you when you drink of this fountain of living water, you shall be like the blessed man in Psalms 1, and whatever you doeth shall prosper!
[Psalms 1:6]
Ezekiel 47:12 gives a nice metaphorical description of this water. It says "By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."
ILLUSTRATION:
The famous young man who died in a car crash a week or so ago was nicknamed “Kaution”. He drank of the fountain of idolatry –for it is said that he washed his car three times a day and treated it like God. Noticed both he and the thing he worshiped were destroyed.
This morning God is reminding someone that life is short and unprintable.
“For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).
But praise be to God this morning you could decide and know where you will spend your eternity! For if you drink of this living water, you will go to a place where there be no more death ,no more sorrow ,no more crying and no more pain., for the old world and its evils will be gone forever!" [Rev. 21:3-4]
But in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I want to tell someone this morning if you drink from the spring of living water, you shall not thirst again!
Are you willing to try this water this morning?
I tell you this morning friends, this living water was not born of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God! [John 1:13] His name of Jesus!
He is the Living Water for this dying world, and if He is not lord over your life, you too are dying and you need him-will you come to Him today?
Jesus is asking this morning-Are you thirsty? Then come to Me and drink, he who believes in Me will flow rivers of living water. [John: 7:37/38]
[John 6:35]-And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Amen
The world around her was that of prejudiced, segregation and racial discrimination. The people were dying because although they appear to be worship God, they had hatred in their hearts. Jews hated Samaritans –which were a mixed raced.
Some are walking around looking good on the outside,but deep inside we full of issues.
We have hearts of stone, holding on to what the husband said a long time ago, holding on to what the wife said along time, holding on to what the pastor said a long time ago. Let go those dirty water! Let go those muddy water! Empty yourself of all this unclean corrupted water. Take on the living water. Hold on to Jesus.
[John 15:4-6]-"Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. f a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
I want to tell you when the judgment of God is upon you, fire brigade can’t help you. “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” [Hebrews 10:31]
Today I want to ask you in the name of Jesus to lay all your prejudices, ungodly opinions, old wives tales, heresies, fables aside. These things are killing us slowly. So because the Pastor is not there, you wouldn’t come to church? I thought you were serving God. So because you don’t like how he preaches, you will not listen?
Had Jesus follow the tradition of the day, that Samaritan woman might have had no hope of receiving this living water.
What about if He was disobedience to the Fathers will? Will there have been hope for you and I today? No
.
Friends, brethrens, you have been drawing water from the wrong well-that’s the reason you have been drawing over and over and over again.
Its time to draw from Jesus.
He said if you knock He shall open the door. Stop killing yourself-begin to live today!
I want to tell you even though you are going through a fire in your life today, this living water can out it.
[Jeremiah 7:7]
Indeed the Samaritan woman was probably going through shame thus she was separated from the rest of women for it was custom for the women to go to the well in groups
Jesus turn her shame into glory. Jesus can turn your shame into glory.
Hey somebody this morning-its time to change your moaning into laughter..
Just say like the Samaritan woman, sir, give me this water. Amen
